Global Justice Or Global Revenge

Hans Kochler was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as international observer at the Lockerbie trial in the Netherlands.In making his case, Kochler provides a remarkably lucid yet detailed account of the developing idea and practice of international criminal justice since the 19th Century. He identifies the five possible modes for international criminal justice.Kochler concludes that the exercise of universal jurisdiction by national judiciaries runs the risk of creating international legal anarchy and can hardly be free from the taint of politics.

The evolving concept of universal jurisdiction, the modern doctrine of humanitarian intervention, and the challenges faced by legal theory in addressing issues of international terrorism are subjects of this profound study. The author ́s main intention is to reflect upon the legal and philosophical foundations of international criminal law in the context of politics. He analyzes the prospects of the International Criminal Court and compares this institution to other forms of universal jurisdiction such as the Security Council ́s ad hoc tribunals. He also points out the problem of double standards in the current practice of "humanitarian politics”. Hans Koechler was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as international observer at the Lockerbie trial in the Netherlands. His experience gained at the "trial of the century” motivated him to reflect on the feasibility of international criminal justice and humanitarian intervention in the framework of the present unipolar world order.

Outstanding and thought-provoking, this book provides up-to-date and in-depth analyses of current developments in international politics. It highlights the (unilateral) use of force in international relations and its implication for international law, the chances and risks of international criminal justice, and the question of epistemic violence with regard to dominant discourses in the theory of international relations, such as nation-building and intercultural dialogue. Furthermore, the book focuses on conditions for global social and ecological justice in international economics against the background of financial crisis. It contributes in particular to a better understanding of the relation between power and justice in view of current global tensions while reflecting the work of the internationally acclaimed philosopher Hans Köchler.

After a controversial war in which he was ousted and captured by United States forces, Saddam Hussein was arraigned before a war crimes tribunal. Slobodan Milosevic died midway through his contentious trial by an international war crimes tribunal at The Hague. Calls for intervention and war crimes trials for the massacres and rapes in Sudan's Darfur region have been loud and clear, and the United States remains fiercely opposed to the permanent International Criminal Court. Are war crimes trials impartial, apolitical forums? Has international justice for war crimes become an entrenched aspect of globalization? In Global Justice, Moghalu examines the phenomenon of war crimes trials from an unusual, political perspective—that of an anarchical international society. After a controversial war in which he was ousted and captured by United States forces, Saddam Hussein was arraigned before a war crimes tribunal. Slobodan Milosevic died midway through his contentious trial by an international war crimes tribunal at The Hague. Calls for intervention and war crimes trials for the massacres and rapes in Sudan's Darfur region have been loud and clear, and the United States remains fiercely opposed to the permanent International Criminal Court. Are war crimes trials impartial, apolitical forums? Has international justice for war crimes become an entrenched aspect of globalization? In Global Justice, Moghalu examines the phenomenon of war crimes trials from an unusual, political perspective—that of an anarchical international society. He argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, war crimes trials are neither motivated nor influenced solely by abstract notions of justice. Instead, war crimes trials are the product of the interplay of political forces that have led to an inevitable clash between globalization and sovereignty on the sensitive question of who should judge war criminals. From Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito, from the trials of Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, and Charles Taylor to Belgium's attempts to enforce the contested doctrine of universal jurisdiction, Moghalu renders a compelling tour de force of one of the most controversial subjects in world politics. He argues that, necessary though it was, international justice has run into a crisis of legitimacy. While international trials will remain a policy option, local or regional responses to mass atrocities will prove more durable.

Over the last quarter of a century a new system of global criminal justice has emerged. But how successful has it been? Are we witnessing a new era of cosmopolitan justice or are the old principles of victors’ justice still in play? In this book, Daniele Archibugi and Alice Pease offer a vibrant and thoughtful analysis of the successes and shortcomings of the global justice system from 1945 to the present day. Part I traces the evolution of this system and the cosmopolitan vision enshrined within it. Part II looks at how it has worked in practice, focusing on the trials of some of the world’s most notorious war criminals, including Augusto Pinochet, Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karad ić, Saddam Hussein and Omar al-Bashir, to assess the efficacy of the new dynamics of international punishment and the extent to which they can operate independently, without the interference of powerful governments and their representatives. Looking to the future, Part III asks how the system’s failings can be addressed. What actions are required for cosmopolitan values to become increasingly embedded in the global justice system in years to come?